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Dragon Heart #2
Iron Will
In the first book, Hadjar lost it all. His body ruined, parents dead, and his title of Prince replaced by a slave collar. It seemed like Primus had deprived him of everything.
But no one can take away a man's will to fight. Even if his heart turns into a bleeding stone due to endless grief and suffering, it won't matter.
The most important thing was that he still had the will to go on. The thought of taking revenge on his family's murderers gave him the strength to survive.
After receiving a piece of the mighty Dragon's heart, he regained his strength and enlisted in the army, where he made real friends and fought by their side in many battles. He started harnessing his new power and acquiring great knowledge.
Hadjar has already had many adventures, but this is only the beginning of his great journey, full of magical mysteries, palace intrigues, epic battles, tempestuous love and the cultivation of his power...
The novel contains noncensored scenes of battles, that may or may not include scenes of violence and gore.
Open it on your own risk.
"Dragon Heart" is one of the top-rated Wuxia LitRPG novels in Russia.
The author has been writing the story for only one and a half years, however, it already has 1200 chapters spanning 13 books. The whole story is planned out and will have over 2000 chapters and 20 books.
The Russian version has been read over 10,000,000 times.
This story has made Mr. Klevanski the #1 author on the 4 biggest self-publishing sites in Russia.
From December of 2018 till now, "Dragon Heart" was being translated into English and published chapter by chapter on several American sites.
Within a month, the story became popular with foreign readers and caused quite a stir.
On Royal Road, it was holding the top spot in trending fictions and gathered more than 2000 followers.
On Creative Novels, it's being followed by over 1500 readers.
Webnovel received the book warmly and the readers are eagerly waiting for new chapters. Hope you'll like the story, too.
You can read the 1/2 of the Second Book and warm reviews here:
royalroad.com/fiction/22034/dragon-he...
But no one can take away a man's will to fight. Even if his heart turns into a bleeding stone due to endless grief and suffering, it won't matter.
The most important thing was that he still had the will to go on. The thought of taking revenge on his family's murderers gave him the strength to survive.
After receiving a piece of the mighty Dragon's heart, he regained his strength and enlisted in the army, where he made real friends and fought by their side in many battles. He started harnessing his new power and acquiring great knowledge.
Hadjar has already had many adventures, but this is only the beginning of his great journey, full of magical mysteries, palace intrigues, epic battles, tempestuous love and the cultivation of his power...
The novel contains noncensored scenes of battles, that may or may not include scenes of violence and gore.
Open it on your own risk.
"Dragon Heart" is one of the top-rated Wuxia LitRPG novels in Russia.
The author has been writing the story for only one and a half years, however, it already has 1200 chapters spanning 13 books. The whole story is planned out and will have over 2000 chapters and 20 books.
The Russian version has been read over 10,000,000 times.
This story has made Mr. Klevanski the #1 author on the 4 biggest self-publishing sites in Russia.
From December of 2018 till now, "Dragon Heart" was being translated into English and published chapter by chapter on several American sites.
Within a month, the story became popular with foreign readers and caused quite a stir.
On Royal Road, it was holding the top spot in trending fictions and gathered more than 2000 followers.
On Creative Novels, it's being followed by over 1500 readers.
Webnovel received the book warmly and the readers are eagerly waiting for new chapters. Hope you'll like the story, too.
You can read the 1/2 of the Second Book and warm reviews here:
royalroad.com/fiction/22034/dragon-he...
501 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2019
1163 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 12, 2022
I liked this, but it didn't really give me too many feelings while reading. I love the cultivation and seeing Hadjar get stronger but I love it more when he builds strong relationships. I kinda feel sorry for the guy 'cause the ones he does get close to end up dying all the time. I'm just so happy that Klevanski hasn't gotten rid of Serra and Nero 'cause the trio's dynamic makes me happy.
I also hope there's going to be more of Nehen, and I know Hadjar choosing the sword technique is meant to limit his abilities, I hope he somehow finds a way around that. What's better than being closer to mother nature and her elements?
I also hope there's going to be more of Nehen, and I know Hadjar choosing the sword technique is meant to limit his abilities, I hope he somehow finds a way around that. What's better than being closer to mother nature and her elements?
September 22, 2019
This series is repetitive, inconsistent, and mostly boring. It's hard to care for any of the characters. It also has a stereotypically Russian approach to female characters, who are allowed to be beautiful enigmatic witches or enigmatic crone witches, but are otherwise ignored.
In fairness, I think that the translation from Russian is doing the entire thing a disservice, but at the same time a series where the blurb includes bragging about the number of chapters that are going to be written isn't exactly starting from the best place.
I'll keep skimming these with amazon's subscription service just to find out what happens, but I wouldn't pay for them.
In fairness, I think that the translation from Russian is doing the entire thing a disservice, but at the same time a series where the blurb includes bragging about the number of chapters that are going to be written isn't exactly starting from the best place.
I'll keep skimming these with amazon's subscription service just to find out what happens, but I wouldn't pay for them.
August 25, 2021
Disappointed in this book. The only redeeming aspect was the friendship between Nero and Hadjar.
(Warning for anyone reading the series. If you like the friendship stop reading now. You’ll only be disappointed later. VERY disappointed!)
The other disappointment is in how the author tries to give a sense of grandness or largess to his work by adding thousands and millions to all descriptions of time and size. The issue is he doesn’t always consult his previous statements so things don’t always make sense. Plus, after millions it’s pointless because the next book says billions.
Neuronet is pointless. At times I wonder if you can call this a cultivation novel because the protagonist rarely does it.
(Warning for anyone reading the series. If you like the friendship stop reading now. You’ll only be disappointed later. VERY disappointed!)
The other disappointment is in how the author tries to give a sense of grandness or largess to his work by adding thousands and millions to all descriptions of time and size. The issue is he doesn’t always consult his previous statements so things don’t always make sense. Plus, after millions it’s pointless because the next book says billions.
Neuronet is pointless. At times I wonder if you can call this a cultivation novel because the protagonist rarely does it.
September 2, 2020
A bit disappointed in the second book. It has become repetitive and boring, and the women are still just sideshows to ogle an give side remarks. The big fights are still pretty unorganized and the powers are inconsistent as well, you never feat that Hadjar will defeat the "big evil" that he's up against.
I think (hope) that the story will pick up now that he wont be operating on such a massive scale. The pace is still fast enough, although I would prefer it be faster, was hoping he would reach a certain tier by the end of the book but now that's looking pretty far out.
The friendship between the Hadjar and Nero remains a plus and so is the kitty.
I think (hope) that the story will pick up now that he wont be operating on such a massive scale. The pace is still fast enough, although I would prefer it be faster, was hoping he would reach a certain tier by the end of the book but now that's looking pretty far out.
The friendship between the Hadjar and Nero remains a plus and so is the kitty.
March 19, 2020
It's still good, although the signs of monotony are there. Another arrogant, evil and over-powered enemy is standing in the hero's way. Train hard lads, we have the fight of our lives ahead. Fight, fight, death all around - victory! But wait. What's that on the horizon? Another arrogant, evil...
The protagonist is fully encased in his plot armor and gathering steam. Every time Hadjar fights an impossible foe, he's not worried and neither is the reader because we both know that he'll pull some mystical MacGuffin out of his nethers to save the day.
As wish-fulfillment goes, it's pretty good stuff. But just as I can't bring myself to eat chocolate for every meal, my enthusiasm for this story is fading. I guess it just depends on how much you love chocolate.
The protagonist is fully encased in his plot armor and gathering steam. Every time Hadjar fights an impossible foe, he's not worried and neither is the reader because we both know that he'll pull some mystical MacGuffin out of his nethers to save the day.
As wish-fulfillment goes, it's pretty good stuff. But just as I can't bring myself to eat chocolate for every meal, my enthusiasm for this story is fading. I guess it just depends on how much you love chocolate.
March 3, 2020
Not quite as good as the first book. I especially didn't like how much stronger the character got and how much less relatable he became. That is an issue in most books where the main character gains a lot of power...it just became a bit boring after a while. I don't plan on continuing the series, as these later stages just weren't interesting enough.
July 13, 2024
Kas gan varētu mēroties labsajūtas un prieka pieredzē kā dzimšanas diena esot mazam princim troņmantiniekam, sagaidīt visvisādus viesus no tuvas un tālas apkārtnes, priecāties kopā ar vecākiem un jaunāko māsu (vēl zīdainis), kā arī tēva Havera brāli Primusu. Tomēr gan karalistes Laidasas un tās iedzīvotāju, gan paša galvenā varoņa Hadžara dzīve sagriežas kājām gaisā uz neatgriešanos, kad Primuss īsteno apvērsumu un gāž brāli no troņa ar visām no tā izrietošajām sekām.
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
October 17, 2019
A very solid book.
The author has continued to make his characters grow in power but has avoided the trope of the character being stupidly overpowered from the beginning. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the action in the fight scenes.
The author has continued to make his characters grow in power but has avoided the trope of the character being stupidly overpowered from the beginning. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the action in the fight scenes.
September 8, 2019
The mythic general
I really love the larger than life MC. While it has a complete arc, this book reads like a compilation of stories or even fables. The interior illustrations really add to the experience. I got a kick out of the war council's astonishment at their general's increasingly audacious plans. The stories were engrossing. I did have difficulty with the scenes where Hadjar and Nero were wading into large scale battles. My ability to imagine the scenes wasn't up to the task and in some places actions and results seemed inconsistent. As far as I could tell the translation and editing were excellent. I read about half of this volume on the royal road website. Great reading. I think it adds a lot to the genre.
I really love the larger than life MC. While it has a complete arc, this book reads like a compilation of stories or even fables. The interior illustrations really add to the experience. I got a kick out of the war council's astonishment at their general's increasingly audacious plans. The stories were engrossing. I did have difficulty with the scenes where Hadjar and Nero were wading into large scale battles. My ability to imagine the scenes wasn't up to the task and in some places actions and results seemed inconsistent. As far as I could tell the translation and editing were excellent. I read about half of this volume on the royal road website. Great reading. I think it adds a lot to the genre.
January 17, 2020
While the theme is strange, I liked it. Writing a story with a new idea is hard, and yet this story managed to turn out quite well written and captivating. The character perseveres through whatever challenges are in front of him. I like how the author made the character become part dragon to make the character recover from his injuries. It makes more sense if you read it. I also like how the author made the main character enlist in the army to hide from his enemies. Although I don't generally like anything related to war or armies, the author made the story somehow captivating anyway. I also like how the author makes the character meet stronger people because it allows us to imagine where Hadjar, the main character, might be in the future.
March 4, 2021
No thanks
This quickly descends into what I consider to be the flaw in cultivation type stories. From my point of view, it is difficult to follow the story as it seems to dash hysterically from scene to scene. Everything is told in a bombastic manner. This may be because it is loyal to the source material, but I think simply translating Asian stories into English loses the lyrical nature of the original language. Even the style doesn’t really translate well.
I know fans of anime or manga will disagree, but this is too heavily inspired by Asian writing.
This quickly descends into what I consider to be the flaw in cultivation type stories. From my point of view, it is difficult to follow the story as it seems to dash hysterically from scene to scene. Everything is told in a bombastic manner. This may be because it is loyal to the source material, but I think simply translating Asian stories into English loses the lyrical nature of the original language. Even the style doesn’t really translate well.
I know fans of anime or manga will disagree, but this is too heavily inspired by Asian writing.
April 23, 2021
I will simply copypaste my review for the books I've read of this series because the review applies to them all.
A wonderful dark fantasy following a dark heroic journey to greatness. A journey reminding me of mythological tales, like those of the Greek.
This is not your typical "Power-up go brrrr" kinda story because the MC gains and loses everything while on his path. I cried several times reading this series.
A wonderful dark fantasy following a dark heroic journey to greatness. A journey reminding me of mythological tales, like those of the Greek.
This is not your typical "Power-up go brrrr" kinda story because the MC gains and loses everything while on his path. I cried several times reading this series.
August 19, 2020
Like the first I just found the time-skips to be a bit annoying as it makes everything advance from one hot point to the next. Overall I just wasn't impressed with the story and found myself wondering why I continued to read when I knew there were other books I was interested in, especially since there are at least 5 more books in the series that I don't exactly look forward to reading.
December 27, 2021
It is so much better than the first book in so many ways. Worth reading.
August 17, 2020
4 The Mad General Stars
Iron Will is the second novel in the Dragon Heart series by Kirill Klevanski.
Hadjar Traves now fights for his army, for his people, for the weak, for his sister, in honor of his parents, in honor of those brothers and sisters lost to battle, for his late General, for his justice, and for the dragon’s revenge. At every turn he faces unbelievable odds, tackles debilitating obstacles with improvised wit and (you guessed it) an iron will.
The Moon General’s honorable death led to Hadjar’s position as general. Where he sets out to conquer his own perception of cultivation, and ‘The Black Gates’ sect. His ingenuity is astonishing, that is inspires and endears the hearts of his soldiers towards great loyalty.
Maybe a little less surprising when you take into account the neuronet that calculates all it hears and records. Still a completely mysterious object, of what’s true potential is unknown.
I’m excited for Azrea, and the possibilities that await her. A small glimpse into her future power is displayed in these pages. But I wait with bated breath for her to achieve her mother’s dreams.
Super cute lil rom component in the ever bickering coupling of Nero and Serra. And while Hadjar mainly lives the life of the everlasting bachelor, he does meet one more temporary love interest in these pages.
I’m excited for what the next book has to offer. I’m anxious for what his presence in Lidus will bring. How he will resolve his desire for justice, against his sisters love for their uncle. He’s diving into a pit of vipers with only his three closest friends and his sword at his side. (I wonder if he’ll find a way to combine the Spirit of the Sword and the Spirit of Wind in his cultivation?)
Iron Will is the second novel in the Dragon Heart series by Kirill Klevanski.
Hadjar Traves now fights for his army, for his people, for the weak, for his sister, in honor of his parents, in honor of those brothers and sisters lost to battle, for his late General, for his justice, and for the dragon’s revenge. At every turn he faces unbelievable odds, tackles debilitating obstacles with improvised wit and (you guessed it) an iron will.
The Moon General’s honorable death led to Hadjar’s position as general. Where he sets out to conquer his own perception of cultivation, and ‘The Black Gates’ sect. His ingenuity is astonishing, that is inspires and endears the hearts of his soldiers towards great loyalty.
Maybe a little less surprising when you take into account the neuronet that calculates all it hears and records. Still a completely mysterious object, of what’s true potential is unknown.
I’m excited for Azrea, and the possibilities that await her. A small glimpse into her future power is displayed in these pages. But I wait with bated breath for her to achieve her mother’s dreams.
Super cute lil rom component in the ever bickering coupling of Nero and Serra. And while Hadjar mainly lives the life of the everlasting bachelor, he does meet one more temporary love interest in these pages.
I’m excited for what the next book has to offer. I’m anxious for what his presence in Lidus will bring. How he will resolve his desire for justice, against his sisters love for their uncle. He’s diving into a pit of vipers with only his three closest friends and his sword at his side. (I wonder if he’ll find a way to combine the Spirit of the Sword and the Spirit of Wind in his cultivation?)
February 14, 2021
A lot of inconsistencies, seems like the author forgets what he has stated before.
The MC has a major plot armor, pulls skills and abilities out of nowhere to fit the situation, something unexpected and never mentioned before or after saves him in just the right moment.
Cultivation system is inconsistent, seems to be mainly an excuse for the author to give the MC powers than a well thought-out system.
Drama is created just for effect and makes the dramatic moments feel like the author came up with an idea to throw in just to have something happen instead of it being organic to the story. Shows that there is very little if any planning in the story.
The neural interface system is basically useless and I’m not sure what it adds to the story. The way it functions makes no sense at all, and in a couple of instances the author even says that himself. Sign of bad writing IMO when you and a major element without being able to explain it or use it consistently, but that approach is a general trend in other areas of the books as well.
Overall reading the books requires a lot of cringing and being able to ignore the weaknesses I’ve described but nonetheless I will keep reading since I’m curious about where the story will end up and I like cultivation stories and OP MCs in general.
Also there are some good comedic elements and inter-character relationships that I like.
P.S.
Book one was better just because it didn’t have time to show so many inconsistencies.
This review applies to both books 2 and 3. This is as far as I have gotten so far.
The MC has a major plot armor, pulls skills and abilities out of nowhere to fit the situation, something unexpected and never mentioned before or after saves him in just the right moment.
Cultivation system is inconsistent, seems to be mainly an excuse for the author to give the MC powers than a well thought-out system.
Drama is created just for effect and makes the dramatic moments feel like the author came up with an idea to throw in just to have something happen instead of it being organic to the story. Shows that there is very little if any planning in the story.
The neural interface system is basically useless and I’m not sure what it adds to the story. The way it functions makes no sense at all, and in a couple of instances the author even says that himself. Sign of bad writing IMO when you and a major element without being able to explain it or use it consistently, but that approach is a general trend in other areas of the books as well.
Overall reading the books requires a lot of cringing and being able to ignore the weaknesses I’ve described but nonetheless I will keep reading since I’m curious about where the story will end up and I like cultivation stories and OP MCs in general.
Also there are some good comedic elements and inter-character relationships that I like.
P.S.
Book one was better just because it didn’t have time to show so many inconsistencies.
This review applies to both books 2 and 3. This is as far as I have gotten so far.
September 8, 2019
A strong sequel.
Continuing along the same vein as book 1, you know what you're getting with Iron Will.
The story continues to progress at a good rate. There are yet more instances that reveal the enormity of the world. And although the pros and cons of this are similar to the earlier book, the translation is noticeably better and more consistent, which helps quite a bit.
On the negative side, it is still somehow feeling difficult to connect with the characters. I am not sure if this is because of the translation or because of the inherent writing style. Also, considering how big the series is going to be, the number of characters who are focused on are surprisingly low in number. 99% of the book time is given to the protagonist. And while I don't have a problem with that, I'd like to see side characters fleshed out a little more.
Also, there is still a feeling of lack of details during some portions. It is most noticeable during transition of scenes from one place to another.
All in all though, still has a feeling of being an epic story. What even more interesting is that it seems a new arc is going to begin with the next book, which is quite exciting.
Looking forward to read more!
Continuing along the same vein as book 1, you know what you're getting with Iron Will.
The story continues to progress at a good rate. There are yet more instances that reveal the enormity of the world. And although the pros and cons of this are similar to the earlier book, the translation is noticeably better and more consistent, which helps quite a bit.
On the negative side, it is still somehow feeling difficult to connect with the characters. I am not sure if this is because of the translation or because of the inherent writing style. Also, considering how big the series is going to be, the number of characters who are focused on are surprisingly low in number. 99% of the book time is given to the protagonist. And while I don't have a problem with that, I'd like to see side characters fleshed out a little more.
Also, there is still a feeling of lack of details during some portions. It is most noticeable during transition of scenes from one place to another.
All in all though, still has a feeling of being an epic story. What even more interesting is that it seems a new arc is going to begin with the next book, which is quite exciting.
Looking forward to read more!
June 13, 2020
This book is too "anime". It was more anime than the last. I'm not enjoying this book, it's more of a chore to read. Either the quality feel, I read too many of these types of books recently, or I'm not in the mood.
I'm finally finished reading this book after constant procrastination. I don't know what the the author did in book two, but he completely lost me as a reader.
This was a chore to finish, and I found myself thinking about reading other books (which might be just as bad) while I was reading this.
My journey ends here with this series. The next book might be even worse than book two. The person that recommended me this said they were not enjoying book four, so this is the perfect time for me to leave.
2/5 Stars
I'm finally finished reading this book after constant procrastination. I don't know what the the author did in book two, but he completely lost me as a reader.
This was a chore to finish, and I found myself thinking about reading other books (which might be just as bad) while I was reading this.
My journey ends here with this series. The next book might be even worse than book two. The person that recommended me this said they were not enjoying book four, so this is the perfect time for me to leave.
2/5 Stars
January 26, 2020
Wow!
This series is developing nicely and keeps getting better. This takes litrpg in a little different direction but to a whole new level. I'm definitely impressed and looking forward to the next book!!
This series is developing nicely and keeps getting better. This takes litrpg in a little different direction but to a whole new level. I'm definitely impressed and looking forward to the next book!!
February 22, 2020
Once again another excellent book!
Though there were many low points the story was an excellent example of the Chinese cultivation novels. I very much look forward to seeing the full series translated and available.
Though there were many low points the story was an excellent example of the Chinese cultivation novels. I very much look forward to seeing the full series translated and available.
April 9, 2020
What a second installment
This book follows straight from the first book, and the chapters continue number from the last book giving a feeling of cohesion. A great story and I’m already looking forward to reading the next instalment
This book follows straight from the first book, and the chapters continue number from the last book giving a feeling of cohesion. A great story and I’m already looking forward to reading the next instalment
February 29, 2020
A can't get enough of this series!
June 18, 2020
Go
Many leaders hhh guy hhff ugh ugh huh ugh g y guy yvg h h h g h hey g
Many leaders hhh guy hhff ugh ugh huh ugh g y guy yvg h h h g h hey g
February 21, 2021
Interesting
I liked the first book enough to buy the available nine books and the available eight audio books. I also reordered book ten. What else is there to say.
I liked the first book enough to buy the available nine books and the available eight audio books. I also reordered book ten. What else is there to say.
February 24, 2021
A fantastic series
Just finished the second book , both were great works by an inspired author . I will certainly keep on reading !
Just finished the second book , both were great works by an inspired author . I will certainly keep on reading !
October 15, 2022
Entertaining, bloody, and a bit meh at times.
This third person limited story was a chapter by chapter release in the litrpg, cultivation progression genre. It continues the chapter count from the previous book but was done in such away that if feels like a seperat book. It has some iskei and rpg elements but it is a minor part of the story which feels more like a cultivation progression story. The series so far is appropriate of older young adults and above, with some foul language bloody scenes, and mild sexual situations.
I both purchased the ebook and audible version via discount. It is written by Krill Klevanski and narrated by Kevin T. Collins. The story does feel as if it as a good begging middle and end which is to be honest a rarity in chapter by chapter stories that tend to feel like a run on story that doesn’t end but simply pauses. This tells me the author plans his story with a decent arc, but I do wonder about the landing.
The characters are impactful but also very blunt. While the main character and his friends are good guys they are not the knights in shining armor. There is a quasi-philosophy that flows along the story trying to sound meaningful but really being meaningless. The hero will sometimes not act to save someone because again he is not a knight in shining armor. The antagonists are not to complexe almost all are arrogant and snobbish fools.
The story was entertaining and detailed but did feel repetitive when it comes down to fighting and the hero also revealing and off page improvement of skill or “unprecedented” progression in the face of certain death. It is straightforward fun read with some depth and a good listen.
The narrator for the audible version is again Kevin T Collins. His voice acting is great and with he does the whispered yelling I wonder why the author had so much yelling in the story rather that why he is doing lol. They are a few times as he reads through you hear in take a breath or dry swallow but it is background noise.
This third person limited story was a chapter by chapter release in the litrpg, cultivation progression genre. It continues the chapter count from the previous book but was done in such away that if feels like a seperat book. It has some iskei and rpg elements but it is a minor part of the story which feels more like a cultivation progression story. The series so far is appropriate of older young adults and above, with some foul language bloody scenes, and mild sexual situations.
I both purchased the ebook and audible version via discount. It is written by Krill Klevanski and narrated by Kevin T. Collins. The story does feel as if it as a good begging middle and end which is to be honest a rarity in chapter by chapter stories that tend to feel like a run on story that doesn’t end but simply pauses. This tells me the author plans his story with a decent arc, but I do wonder about the landing.
The characters are impactful but also very blunt. While the main character and his friends are good guys they are not the knights in shining armor. There is a quasi-philosophy that flows along the story trying to sound meaningful but really being meaningless. The hero will sometimes not act to save someone because again he is not a knight in shining armor. The antagonists are not to complexe almost all are arrogant and snobbish fools.
The story was entertaining and detailed but did feel repetitive when it comes down to fighting and the hero also revealing and off page improvement of skill or “unprecedented” progression in the face of certain death. It is straightforward fun read with some depth and a good listen.
The narrator for the audible version is again Kevin T Collins. His voice acting is great and with he does the whispered yelling I wonder why the author had so much yelling in the story rather that why he is doing lol. They are a few times as he reads through you hear in take a breath or dry swallow but it is background noise.
March 29, 2022
Rating 2.0 stars - DNF
There were just too many problems with this book. The weird thing is that the problems I had with this book aren't the usual problems I have with cultivation novels. My normal problem with most cultivation books is that there is too much focus on cultivation and increasing power without any emotional connection. This one is almost all emotional connection. The MC is trying to get revenge for everything that was done to him in the last book. I made it 7 hours into this 20 hour audiobook and I can't really tell how what is happening now is going to lead him to his revenge except that he might get more powerful? There is too much emotional drama in every scene. Again this is the opposite problem that most cultivation novels suffer from. The author went overboard with the suspense/drama. Every scene is written to trigger emotion. It is too much for such a long book. I am emotionally drained. Can't keep up that level of emotion for so long. It needs to be tempered with other parts of the story like cultivation/advancement. That is where this story is really lacking. I have no clue how the cultivation system here works. Every opponent of the MC is apparently stronger that him but he is able to defeat them without difficulty. It seems like all he does is work out and meditate and he gets stronger? How does that work. There needs to be clear distinction in the levels of cultivation. One thing the most frustrating parts is when the MC would describe another fighter and say that he is almost a true cultivator. I kept getting annoyed when I heard that because I didn't understand what that meant. Wasn't everyone who wasn't "mortal" a cultivator? The story just didn't progress fast enough. I made it 5 hours in thinking it was okay and then the next 2 hours were just a slog. I decided to cut my loses. I have about 90 other audiobooks ready to go, no point in continuing.
There were just too many problems with this book. The weird thing is that the problems I had with this book aren't the usual problems I have with cultivation novels. My normal problem with most cultivation books is that there is too much focus on cultivation and increasing power without any emotional connection. This one is almost all emotional connection. The MC is trying to get revenge for everything that was done to him in the last book. I made it 7 hours into this 20 hour audiobook and I can't really tell how what is happening now is going to lead him to his revenge except that he might get more powerful? There is too much emotional drama in every scene. Again this is the opposite problem that most cultivation novels suffer from. The author went overboard with the suspense/drama. Every scene is written to trigger emotion. It is too much for such a long book. I am emotionally drained. Can't keep up that level of emotion for so long. It needs to be tempered with other parts of the story like cultivation/advancement. That is where this story is really lacking. I have no clue how the cultivation system here works. Every opponent of the MC is apparently stronger that him but he is able to defeat them without difficulty. It seems like all he does is work out and meditate and he gets stronger? How does that work. There needs to be clear distinction in the levels of cultivation. One thing the most frustrating parts is when the MC would describe another fighter and say that he is almost a true cultivator. I kept getting annoyed when I heard that because I didn't understand what that meant. Wasn't everyone who wasn't "mortal" a cultivator? The story just didn't progress fast enough. I made it 5 hours in thinking it was okay and then the next 2 hours were just a slog. I decided to cut my loses. I have about 90 other audiobooks ready to go, no point in continuing.
March 25, 2023
Iron Will by Kirill Klevanski is another overall good book, but is otherwise flawed by some questionable narrative choices, plot conveniences, and uneven writing. This sees the main character become a general and go to war with a major sect mentioned from the first chapters of the series, but is dwarfed by a reality beyond comprehension. There's a lot to love here, but there's a lot that is borderline distracting. That this book also apparently brought the entire narrative arc centered around being a general to a close is rather strange. There's enough foreshadowing that he should know that taking his revenge might end up resulting in him needing to fight his younger sister to the death, so who knows if he'll take revenge of if he will move on. The story is moving too quickly for his tiny little throne and kingdom to be the end goal. Maybe another book or two and that will be wrapped up. But whereto after? I'm cautiously optimistic, but I am fearful that this could all fall apart in convenience, power ups, and characters behaving badly. An interesting narrative choice might be him fighting against the resistance loyal to his father's memory. Maybe the main general is too murder happy with respect to traitors? Maybe he's equally uncaring about civilians? Maybe toppling the puppet regime would make matters infinitely worse for his wouldbe subjects? Maybe they hurt/kill his sister? Ah well, I'm speculating a bit too much. Let's just say I'm eager to see where this is going, and I hope Klevanski doesn't screw things up.
June 18, 2022
This second volume of this isekai-fantasy novel series, is the continuation of Hadjar's second life in this alternate reality world. Hadjar remains in the army of his family's kingdom, continues to receive threats, blackmail and corruption demands from the officials of the Empire and the military officers of the Kingdom. This other world, has a corrupt and depraved feudal-lord system and tribal systems. This other world is huge, main character, Hadjar considers it more than ten times bigger than he remembers of the size of Earth.
Hadjar becomes the "General" of the Moon Army in this second volume. Lack of armaments, supplies and food for his soldiers, in winter are part of the main theme of this volume. This second volume has about 100 pages less than the first volume. Second volume covers from chapters 74-184. The fantasy-isekai novel series currently has 16 volumes, volume number 16 to be first published in English on November 2022.
Author uses main characters like punching bags, meat shields, in each adventure and plot arc. Main character kills people he has feelings for, experiences with, without any remorse. Not only the author is sociopathic-psychopathic, now his General Hadjar, main character, kills, murders, even thinks about raping women (Witch Nehen), without ethical compasses or any type of repetance (guilt).
The Moon Army faces their biggest trial to date, a monster stampede that if left unattended, could wipe out the whole region.
Hadjar becomes the "General" of the Moon Army in this second volume. Lack of armaments, supplies and food for his soldiers, in winter are part of the main theme of this volume. This second volume has about 100 pages less than the first volume. Second volume covers from chapters 74-184. The fantasy-isekai novel series currently has 16 volumes, volume number 16 to be first published in English on November 2022.
Author uses main characters like punching bags, meat shields, in each adventure and plot arc. Main character kills people he has feelings for, experiences with, without any remorse. Not only the author is sociopathic-psychopathic, now his General Hadjar, main character, kills, murders, even thinks about raping women (Witch Nehen), without ethical compasses or any type of repetance (guilt).
The Moon Army faces their biggest trial to date, a monster stampede that if left unattended, could wipe out the whole region.
August 7, 2025
This book turned into a slog. The first book had bouts of issues maintaining the tension to compel the reader forward. This book is dominated by it. The military development of the protagonist is just not that interesting. There's an attempt to create tension through high stakes events, but it can't escape the feeling of being a diversion from the main plot kicked off in the first book.
It's kind of understandable though. The author wants to keep their fantasy system self-coherent and needs some way to fill in details. It's the kind of thing that writers often use a time skip to gloss over, but such a thing doesn't fit into the step by step growth style of the genre.
I finished the book in a mixed state. I didn't want to stomach another book like this, but I still felt some curiosity for what happens. There was still a lot of potential in the world created and the first book (and small parts of this one) showed the author can work up good tension along the way of the journey. A small experimenting dive into the next book shows the author truly working their strengths and showing this book suffers from a trilogy syndrome -> The setup has a lot of thought, the conclusion has a lot of thought, but the stuff in the middle struggles to fit in and you just gotta bare it.
It's kind of understandable though. The author wants to keep their fantasy system self-coherent and needs some way to fill in details. It's the kind of thing that writers often use a time skip to gloss over, but such a thing doesn't fit into the step by step growth style of the genre.
I finished the book in a mixed state. I didn't want to stomach another book like this, but I still felt some curiosity for what happens. There was still a lot of potential in the world created and the first book (and small parts of this one) showed the author can work up good tension along the way of the journey. A small experimenting dive into the next book shows the author truly working their strengths and showing this book suffers from a trilogy syndrome -> The setup has a lot of thought, the conclusion has a lot of thought, but the stuff in the middle struggles to fit in and you just gotta bare it.
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